Springfield, Ohio - The Concordia University Chicago (CUC) Cougars men's volleyball team traveled to Springfield, Ohio, to open up their 2025 season by participating in the Wittenberg Kickoff Classic. Day one of the tournament consisted of the Cougars taking on the Thiel College Tomcats. After five sets of play, the Cougars fell 2-3.
Inside the Box Score
- Marcin Hoffman (Inverness, Ill.) led the Cougars in kills with 14 on the season opening night as well as 11 digs.
- Closely behind his teammate, Jackson Stella (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) had 13 kills.
- Elijah Mosher (Clayton, Ohio) came out like he never left with 44 assists and 11 digs.
Here's What Happened
Set One
The Cougars opened the scoring with a service error from the Tomcats. Service errors plagued both sides early on, with the Cougars briefly holding a 4-2 advantage. After a string of attack and service errors, Leon Gudzovski (Des Plaines, Ill.) and Stella recorded the Cougars' first kills of the night. However, the Cougars still trailed 11-10. The Tomcats then rattled off three consecutive points before Hoffman halted their run with a kill. Despite their efforts, the Cougars fell behind 14-11. Both teams continued to struggle offensively, and with the Tomcats approaching 21 points, the Cougars called their first timeout. The Cougars could only muster one more point after the break, ultimately losing the first set 25-17.
Set Two
The Cougars again opened the scoring in set two, highlighted by a block from Gudzovski and Stella. They held the Tomcats scoreless, establishing a 3-0 lead. The Tomcats responded with two points, but Gudzovski's powerful swing pushed the Cougars back ahead 4-2.
The Cougars continued to pressure the Tomcats, with kills from Stella and
Alexander Ford (Skokie, Ill.) contributing to their 8-5 advantage. The Tomcats went on a scoring run, but a service error and kills from Hoffman and Armstrong forced them into their first timeout trailing 11-8. Hoffman added another kill immediately after the break, extending the Cougars' lead to four. The Cougars maintained their dominance, reaching a six-point advantage at 20-14. The Tomcats mounted a late comeback, narrowing the gap to four points and forcing a Cougars' timeout at 23-19.
Gudzovski recorded a solo block to bring the Cougars to set point, and Stella clinched the set with a kill, 25-20. Both teams had now won a set a piece.
Set Three
In set three, the Tomcats gained an early lead. However, kills from Ford and Hoffman quickly put the Cougars ahead 4-2.
The teams then engaged in a back-and-forth battle, with the lead changing hands frequently. The Tomcats strung together three consecutive kills, taking a narrow lead and forcing a Cougars' timeout at 9-8. Stella responded with a powerful kill to tie the score.
Michael Cardines (Chicago, Ill.), Hoffman, and Stella continued to trade kills with the Tomcats. With the score tied at 17, the Cougars struggled to gain momentum. They could only manage five more points in the set, ultimately losing 25-22. The Tomcats now led the match 2-1.
Set Four
The Cougars dominated early, with kills from Stella, Hoffman, and Ford giving them a 4-2 lead. The next ten points were evenly contested, until the Cougars established a three-point advantage at 9-6. The Tomcats then rallied to tie the score at 12, prompting a Cougars' timeout. Despite a 3-1 scoring run by the Cougars, they struggled to maintain momentum and called another timeout at 15-13.
This timeout seemed to invigorate the Cougars, who then won five of the next six points to take an 18-16 lead. The teams continued to battle, eventually tying the score at 23. The Cougars ultimately secured the set 25-23, evening the match at two sets apiece and forcing a decisive fifth set.
Set Five
In the decisive fifth set, both teams battled fiercely, mirroring the intensity of the previous sets. With the score tied at 5-5, each team had reached a crucial turning point, needing only 10 more points for victory. The Cougars briefly pulled ahead 7-5, but the momentum quickly shifted, with the Tomcats surging to a 10-8 lead and forcing a Cougars' timeout.
The Tomcats maintained their advantage until the end, clinching the set 15-12 and securing a 3-2 victory in the match.
What's Next
The Cougars will have a quick turnaround heading into day two of the Wittenberg Kickoff Classic where they will take on Wittenberg University and Roanoke College at 11:00 am (EST) and 1:00 pm (EST) respectively. Coverage for all things CUC men's volleyball can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
